| MATCHUP | Northern Illinois Huskies | Ohio Bobcats |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 1-6 | 4-3 |
| Where | Peden Stadium, Athens, OH | |
| When | Saturday, October 18, 2025 | |
| Time | 03:30 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Northern Illinois Huskies and the Ohio Bobcats meet in week 8 college football action from Sanford Stadium on Saturday. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Ohio Bobcats prediction.
Northern Illinois Huskies Recap
The Northern Illinois Huskies come into this game looking to bounce back from a 16-10 loss at the hands of Eastern Michigan last time out to sit at 1-5 this season. After this game, Northern Illinois will head home for a game against Ball State.
Northern Illinois Drops 5 In A Row
Josh Holst has thrown for 376 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions on 59.7% passing while Telly Johnson Jr. has 417 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns and Chavon Wright also has 314 rushing yards and a touchdown as well this season. DeAree Rogers has a team-high 28 catches for 289 yards and a touchdown as well this season. On defense, Quinn Urwiler has a team-high 70 total tackles including 36 solo tackles while NIU’s defense as a whole has combined for 7 sacks and 4 interceptions so far this season.
Ohio Bobcats Recap
The Ohio Bobcats come into this game looking to bounce back from a 20-14 loss at the hands of Ball State last time out to slip to 3-3 this season. After this game, Ohio will head on the road for a game against Eastern Michigan.
Bobcats Have Two-Game Win Streak Snapped
Parker Navarro has thrown for 1,266 yards, 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions on 64.1% passing while also rushing for 398 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Sieh Bangura has a team-high 481 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns while Duncan Brune has 241 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. Chase Kendricks has a team-high 37 receptions for 585 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead Ohio’s receiving group. On defense, Michael Molnar has a team-high 52 total tackles and 1.5 sacks while Michael Mack II and Cameron Hollobaugh each have a pair of interceptions and Jay Crable has a team-high 4 sacks. As a unit, Ohio’s defense has combined for 11 sacks and 7 interceptions this season.
Northern Illinois Huskies @ Ohio Bobcats Betting Trends: Week 8
Why the Ohio Bobcats will win
- Ohio has won each of its last 10 games at Peden Stadium.
- Northern Illinois has lost each of its last five games.
- Ohio has covered the spread in each of its last six home games against conference opponents.
- Northern Illinois has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight games against conference opponents.
- Ohio has won the first quarter in each of its last four games against conference opponents.
- Ohio has won the first half in 12 of its last 13 games against conference opponents at Peden Stadium.
Why the Northern Illinois Huskies will win
- Northern Illinois has won each of its last six October games as a road underdog.
- Ohio has lost four of its last five games against teams from Illinois.
- The underdog has covered the spread in each of the last five games between Northern Illinois and Ohio.
- Ohio has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games in October.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Northern Illinois’ last six games as a road underdog have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Six of Ohio’s last seven October games as a home favorite have gone OVER the total points line.
Ohio Bobcats Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 8, Chase Hendricks leads the Mid-American Conference for receptions (37) this season.
Northern Illinois Huskies Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 8, Quinn Urwiler leads the league for tackles (70) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Ohio ranks 128th among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage against this season (73.3).
- Ohio ranks 124th among FBS teams for average point differential in fourth quarters this season (-4.5).
- Northern Illinois has recorded the equal-most home wins by a margin of three points or less of any FBS team this season (1).
- Northern Illinois ranks 135th among FBS teams for points per game this season (10.8).
Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Ohio Bobcats Prediction
I’m on Ohio here. It’s a big number, but Northern Illinois is one of the worst offensive units in the MAC and I don’t think they’re going to be able to go score for score with Ohio in this game. The Bobcats have had no problems putting points up, and I think this is a game that Ohio just runs away in to get a nice confidence boosting win. Give me the Bobcats.